I stopped NAL because I wanted PVP fights and all the battles were full of AI. My problem was not lack of players, but rather too many AI ruing the fun I wanted to have with real players. I would still be banging away happily in NAL if it were not for the AI, and unfun grind (especially the crazy cannon grind setup.)

Ya I have always wished that each ship could be built in different ways within a realistic range, and then rigging and cannon setups could be adjusted to suit your needs. All of these options would be available to everyone equally, and no crazy, unbalanced mods.

I think many of you are missing the fact that the arena type game is going to have a much broader appeal to a wider audience, and may actually serve to get many new people into the open world once they realize how great the combat in this game is. It may end up being way better for everyone all round.